Social Innovation in the Public Sector: The Case of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Innovation is being utilized as an important governance tool for improving government functions. The purpose of this research is to identify social innovation programs and initiatives in Seoul, South Korea, through a review of literature on social innovation and a case study of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG). This research suggests that the SMG fosters social innovation through a variety of metropolitan examples and such innovation projects help to sustain metropolitan governance and develop partnership opportunities and collaboratives. This study contributes to the literature on social innovation in the public sector by looking at the motivations for innovation, the culture to facilitate innovation, collaboration as a tool for innovation, and finally how to sustain innovation. The study also emphasizes how collaboration with the civil society and the private sector helps to promote social innovation through creativity, leadership and sustainability. Other metropolitan governments can benefit from exploring the social innovations presented in this study because the examples demonstrate a way for government to become more effective and efficient by using innovation as a tool for governance.